Tuesday Feature: Netha Cloeter

This week's Tuesday Feature is Netha Cloeter, our Scholastic Art and Writing Awards partner at the Plains Art Museum. Netha is the Director of Education and Social Engagement at the museum, and in this position she facilitates the youth and adult programs, which include classes and experiences in the Center for Creativity, school tours, and exhibition programs. According to Netha, education is "a core value and focus" at the Plains Art Museum. 

As Netha will be working with us on the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards this year, we decided to interview her so you can learn a bit more about her role in the Writing Awards as well as her own experiences with writing.

What will your role be in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards this year?

Plains Art Museum is the organizing institutions for the North Dakota Art Region, so I am the art coordinator for our region. First and foremost, this means I am the person to contact for all art-related questions. Our team here at the Plains will be processing and leading the adjudication process for all regional art submissions. We will also curate an exhibition of all art submissions, which will be on view from late January – Mid March in the Center for Creativity Gallery here at Plains Art Museum. Finally, the Plains Art Museum will be hosting the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Ceremony on Saturday, March 12.

What made you get involved in the awards?
I was lucky to get involved with the awards through my new position at Plains Art Museum. This is the second year the Plains Art Museum has been a partner on the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, and we look forward to growing our program and participation in the region!

Do you ever write? If so, what and why?

I love to write and attempt to maintain a consistent writing practice. Due to my job, I write curriculum and interpretive materials on a daily basis, but my favorite thing to write is critical essays and reviews on contemporary art.  I believe that art reflects and challenges social trends and ideas, and that we can gain a fuller understanding of a cultural moment by conducting a close visual analysis of art. I recently wrote exhibition catalog essays for two current exhibitions: Julie Buffalohead: Entwined, on view at Rochester Art Center through January 3, 2016, and Star Wallowing Bull: Transformer, on view at Plains Art Museum through January 2, 2016. I am interested in writing about the intersection of contemporary visual culture and socio-political issues, and I like to explore borders and border theory in particular. Apart for being an “art nerd,” I also enjoy composing hand-written letters; it’s a challenge to write thoughtfully without a word processing application!

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Hopefully you can get a chance to meet Netha sometime, but if not, at least now you've had a glimpse into who she is and her contributions to Scholastic Art and Writing Awards! And don't forget to encourage your own students to make art and writing submissions this year! They are due on January 1st.